Electric appliance for controlling supply of gas to burners, &amp;c.



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Patented Aug. 15, |899.

C. FRANZEN. ELECTRIC APPLIANCE FOR CDNTBULLING SUPPLY 0F GAS T0 BURNERS, 81.5.

(Application led Feb. 20, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

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` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL FRANZEN, OF COLOGNE, GERMANY.

ELECTRIC APPLIANCE FOR CONTROLLING SUPPLY 0F GAS T0 BURNERS, &c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,037', dated August 15, 1899.

Application filed February 20, 1899. Serial No. 706,195. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it 11u01/ concern.-

Be it known that I, ,CARL FRANZEN, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at 39 Christophstrasse, Cologne, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Appliances for Controlling the Supply of Gas to Burners and Eifecting its Ignition from a Distance, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to combined electrical devices for controlling the gas-supply to and effecting the ignition and extinction of gasburners from a distance.

The invention consists in connecting the electrical resistance by the heating of which the gas-current is caused to ignite in series with the electromagnets governing the controlling device, thus making the use of separate conductors for beth devices superfluous, in giving the said electrical resistance a position in which it is capable of iniaming the gas, but at the same time is not liable to be affected by the heat of the flame whenignited, andin so constructing the said igniting device that it can be easily replaced when defective.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through an ordinary Velsbach gas-burner fitted with my improved controlling and ignitin g device; and Fig. 2 is likewise a vertical section of parts, drawn on an enlarged scale, showing details.

The letters of reference signify the same parts in both figures.

I is a glass tube closed at the upper end and containing two conductors L and L2, which pass through the upper closed end of said tube and unite to form the loop, preferably made of platinum wire and adapted to be heated by an electric current passing through it and thereby to ignite the gas. The upper portion of said tube carries the sleeve K, preferably made of sufficiently refractory metal and provided at its upper end with the head-piece II, adapted to carry the ordinary stem N, which in its turn carries the incandescent mantle. The sleeve K is also provided with two or more openings O, placed in such a position as to admit the gas issuing from the burner to the resistance M.

At the lower end of the glass tube I two metal pieces are united to it by any suitable celnent-namely, on its outside the sleeve F and on its inside the pin G. The two conductors Land Lzare led down and connected, respectively, to these two pieces F and G.

The controlling device A is only shown by way of giving an example, since I do not consider it to form part of my im proved arrangement, which might as well be combined with any other known electrical controlling device.

The electromagnet P is supposed by means of a ratchet-wheel and pawl to actuate the rotatable disk Q, having a series of Vperipheral holes, so that in one position of the said disk a perforation thereof is brought opposite thegas-supply passage, so as to admit the gas to the burner, While in another position the solid part of the disk covers the said passage, so as to cut off the gas-supply. On the vertical fixed axis of this electromagnet appliance on which the said perforated disk is made to rotate is fixed a small tube Bpthat extends up within the tubular mixing-chamber of the Welsbach burner, (which may conveniently be carried on the top of the casing of the said electrical appliance,) and at a certain point Within such chamber it has fixed toits upper end a cylindrical head-piece C, of insulating material, on the upper end of which is fixed a socket D, of conducting material. The insulating-head has a central passage, in which is fixed a small tube E, of conducting material.

The one lead of the winding of the electromagnet of the abovedescribed perforated disk is passed up the tube B and is fixed to the small central conducting-tube E of the head, and the second lead of the said winding is also passed up through the Erst-described tube and through a lateral hole in the insulating-head C and is fixed to the conductingsocket D on the top of the head.

The lower end of the above-mentioned sleeve F is made to fit into this socket D, and the above-mentioned pin G is made to fit into the tube E, thus making conductive contacts between F and D and between G and E, respectively. y

It will be seen that by the above connections of the lower and upper wires, respectively, with the conducting parts of the insulating-head and the conducting parts of the IOO glass tube that fit into the same a closed circuit is formed, extending from the winding of the one electromagnet-limb up through the platinum wire loop or coil and down again to the winding of thesecond electromagnet-limb, so that when a current is passed from a distance through the electromagnet for actuating the perforated disk such current at the same time passes through the platinum loop or coil and in heating this to incandescence effects the ignition of the mixture of gas and air issuing through the burner.

As the metal tube carrying the glass tube and its wires is removably fitted into the head of the lower tube, it will be seen that the glass tube, with its platinum igniter, can be readily replaced by a new one when defective. The central position thus given to platinum wire loop is considered an important novelty. IIitherto such igniting resistances were invariably placed outside the flame, and it was believed that the temperature at the center 0E the burner was too high to allow a thin platinum wire placed in this position to be maintained in goed condition for any length of time, as is proved by the Vfact that the stem of refractory material which carries the mantle was hitherto invariably carried down considerably below the place where according to my invention the platinum loop is fixed.

Although I have described my invention more particularly in connection with `Wels bach burners, it will be evident that it can also be applied to other forms of gas-burners.

Having now described apparatus embodying my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure bythese Letters Patent, the following:

l. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a gas-burner, of a centrallydisposed socket or receptacle provided with contacts D E, a stem I having coacting contacts F G adapted to be removably inserted in said socket, the said stem being adapted to carry an incandescent mantle at its upper end, and a loop of refractory conducting material O electrically connected with the contracts and carried bythe stem centrally within the iiame of the burner, substantially as described.

2. he combination with a gas burner adapted to be electrically controlled7 of electrical contact parts forming a socket or receptacle associated with said burner, and a removable stem provided with an ignitingconductor and with ceacting contact parts adapted to fit within the socket and maintain the conductor in position to ignite the gas issuing from the burner, substantially as described.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with aburner, of an igniting device comprising a refractory electrical conductor and connected contact parts, and a receptacle or socket provided in the burner having coacting contactparts adapted remow ably to support the igniting device centrally in position within the l'lame of the burner and establish electrical connection with the igniting-conductor, substantially as described.

LI. In igniting apparatus for electricallyoperated incandescent gas-burners, the coinbination with the burner, of electromagnetic means for controlling the ilow of gas thereto, a socket provided with electrical contact parts in electrical connection with said means, and au igniting device comprising a stem with coacting contact parts adapted to be removably inserted within the socket and an ignitingconductor electrically connected with said contacts and carried at the upper end of the stem centrally within the flame, substantiaily as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of January, A. D. 180i).

CARL FRANZEN.

IVitnesses:

Crus. E. Jaimes, WILLLUL ii. Mnnnnx. 

